Misunderstood
by emzylou
Summary: The relationship of Ryan and Marissa is put to the test when a web of lies is spun around them. Seth and Summer suffer as a consequence. Set before Season 2 finale, and prom hasn't occured either. RM mainly, SS minor
1. Late

Misunderstood

Marissa sat behind the wheel of her car, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. The traffic lights were refusing to change and she was already late for her date with Ryan. _C'mon,_ she thought, _I need to go._

Tonight's date was important for both of them; although nothing had been said, they could both sense that this would be a monumental night in the history of their relationship. Marissa knew that Ryan was a little paranoid that something had happened between her and Trey whilst he was in Miami – _if only he knew _– which meant that she had to show him that he had nothing to be worried about.

Being late for their date was not the best way to go about it.

Marissa pulled her phone out of her purse, deciding to let Ryan know she was running late.

_Crap, _she thought when she looked at the display. _The perfect time to have a flat battery. _Now how was she meant to put Ryan's fears at rest?

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Ryan stood impatiently outside of the Crab Shack, glancing at his watch every few seconds. _Where is she? She's never more than 10minutes late. Maybe she's with….no, don't go there buddy. _

He tried to call her but her phone was switched off. _Typical. I guess tonight's not as important to her as it is to me. _Dejectedly, Ryan kicked out at a stray can beside the bin, then leaned back against the wall.

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_Finally! _The lights changed and Marissa put her foot down on the accelerator._ Now to get to Ryan before he gives up on me! _

Marissa was so wrapped up in getting to Ryan that she didn't notice the alarming behaviour of the driver in the lorry, travelling in the opposite direction towards her. He was drunk and swerving all over the road. Marissa realised too late that there wasn't enough room for both of them on the road. She spun the wheel, desperately trying to move out the way.

The lorry drove smack bang into her car.

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_She should have been here an hour ago. _Ryan looked once more at his watch, scanned the landscape around him for any sign of his beautiful angel, before conceding that she wasn't coming and heading angrily to the car. _Does this mean its over between us?_

**Well, that was chapter 1. This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you like it! I have several chapters panned out, and they will be much longer than this one, don't worry! **

**You know what to do; please review**


	2. Julie

Ryan stormed straight into the poolhouse and collapsed on the bed. _What the hell just happened? Why didn't she show up?_

Seth ambled into the poolhouse, whistling cheerfully. He came through the door and stopped abruptly when he saw Ryan hunched up on the bed.

"Woah, buddy, aren't you s'posed to be out with Marissa?" Seth enquired.

Ryan gave him a look. "She didn't turn up."

"Ouch. Well, I'm sure she has a good reason; maybe her mom locked her up…or she broke a nail…or her heel snapped," Seth twittered.

"Seth, shut up. What are you doing here anyway?" Ryan barked.

"Hmm…what? Oh, right, I came to see if you had the latest Legion in here…which you do." Seth walked to the table and picked it up, then sat down in a chair.

Ryan raised his eyebrows and inclined his head towards the door. Eventually Seth got the hint.

"Okay, I'm gonna go and read this in the comfort of my room…get some privacy, you know. Don't worry buddy, Marissa will be fine."

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"Julie Cooper?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, ma'am, but there's been an accident. Your daughter, Marissa, is in a critical condition."

"Oh my god, what happened?"

"A lorry went into her car. The driver was heavily under the influence of alcohol. Can you come down to Newport Hospital?"

"Yes, of course, I'm on my way."

Julie set the phone down and stared into space. Her family was falling apart. Caleb was dead, and Marissa could be following him. She had to get to that hospital; she couldn't let Marissa leave her.

So she jumped into her car and drove off.

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Julie followed the directions the woman at reception had given her and found herself outside Room 4. She went in and her heart skipped a bit. Her beautiful daughter Marissa was lying unconscious on the bed, covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises. Her arm was in a cast and there was a bandage round her head.

A doctor came in and found Julie glued to Marissa's side, tears trickling down her face.

"She won't wake up." Julie sobbed.

"It's ok, ma'am, that's to be expected. It could be a while before she does wake up, but she'll do it in her own time."

"And then will she be okay? What's the damage?"

"Aside from the cut on her head and a broken arm, there are no other visible injuries. She's been incredibly lucky. We don't know how her brain has been affected though; there could be some damage or amnesia. We won't know that till she wakes up, but I'd say the odds are in her favour that she'll be fine. However, we won't know for certain until she wakes up."

**What do you think? Let me know. And no, this isn't going to be a story where Marissa wakes up but can't remember Ryan – I've got something different planned.**


	3. Still wondering

**BTW, a lorry is basically a truck. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far; you guys rock!**

Ryan stood on the doorstep. _Where are you Marissa? _He banged on the door for the fifth time that day. There was no answer.

You won't pick up your phone…no one will answer the door. What is going on?

Ryan shook his head as he turned around and headed back into the poolhouse. Looks like Marissa won't be giving me a lift to school then.

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Julie awoke and found herself curled up on a hospital chair. She looked over at her daughter. Marissa was still unconscious. Julie could see an expression of pain etched on her face.

She glanced at her watch and realised that she should be at work right now. Like that's important at the moment.

With a parting glance at Marissa, Julie left the room in search of coffee. Once outside, she took her phone out of her pocket and dialled a number.

"Hello?"

"Hey Kiki, it's Julie. How are you doing?"

"Holding up, I guess, submerging myself in work." Kirsten sighed.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but I won't be able to help out that much at the moment. Marissa was in a car accident."

"Oh my god, is she alright?" Kirsten exclaimed.

"She's pretty banged up and she's still unconscious. There shouldn't be much lasting damage, but they won't know for definite until she wakes up. I'm going to stay at the hospital till she does."

"Of course, I understand. God, I'm so sorry Julie. If there's anything we can do to help…"

Julie cut her off. "Thanks Kirsten, but you're going through enough right now. We'll be fine. But thank you. I'm gonna go back to Marissa now."

"Ok, take care Julie, call me if you need anything."

"Will do, bye"

"Bye."

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School dragged by for Ryan. He couldn't concentrate; millions of thoughts were buzzing around in his head. Marissa didn't appear to be in school, which was slightly odd. Then again, she might be skiving off to get wasted or see Trey. It wouldn't be the first time she's skipped school. I just wish she'd talk to me.

But now, having had time to calm down after being stood up, Ryan had to admit that he was secretly a little concerned as to Marissa's whereabouts.

**Ok, this chapter is just intended as a filler; the pace is going to pick up a bit soon. In the next chapter, Ryan will find out what happened to Marissa. Review please **


	4. Confusion

Ryan wandered into the kitchen, checking his phone to see if there were any missed calls or messages off Marissa. It was no great surprise to him to find that there was nothing there.

Kirsten looked up from her coffee and saw that Ryan had entered the room. She immediately rushed over to his side.

"Oh, sweetie, how are you bearing up about the whole Marissa thing?"

Ryan looked at her strangely. Great. So Seth's gone and told everyone that Marissa stood me up. Typical.

"Ok, I guess. I mean, its not like I was expecting it to happen or anything, but given my luck I guess it was bound to happen at some point. I just wish she would get in touch with me."

Now it was Kirsten's turn to have a confused look on her face. What is he talking about? How can she call him when she's unconscious?

"Err, Ryan, I'm not sure we're talking about the same thing here."

"What do you mean? What else is there about Marissa, other than the fact that she stood me up the other day?"

Oh crap, he has no idea what happened. And I bet that when the crash happened, Marissa was supposed to be meeting Ryan. I can't believe I've got to tell him this.

Kirsten sighed. "Sweetie, you might want to sit down for this."

Ryan frowned slightly, but followed Kirsten's instruction. What on earth is going on? Has something happened to Marissa. MY GOD! Something has happened to her!

"Ok, honey, Julie rang me at work today. There's been a car crash. A truck went into Marissa's car..."

The colour drained from Ryan's face as the reality of the situation began to dawn on him. That's why she never showed up. She was in a car crash. My poor baby!

"…they think she's going to be okay; her arm is broken and her head is quite cut up. She's still unconscious at the moment, so they're not sure if there's any other damage, but the doctors are quite optimistic that everything will be fine when she wakes up," Kirsten told him.

Ryan bowed his head and ran his hands through his hair. He felt his eyes moistening and knew he had to hide that from Kirsten. She's just lost her father; she doesn't need you crying on her. You've got to be strong, man. Pull yourself together. He took a moment to ready himself, then sat up properly.

"Can I go and see her?" he asked.

"Of course you can, although I'm not sure if you'll be allowed her room – they may say that it's family members only. Do you want me to come with you?"

"It's okay; I'll be alright by myself. But thanks."

"Okay sweetie. Don't worry, she's going to be fine."

Ryan nodded slightly. "Yeah…I hope so."

You absolute idiot Ryan. There's you, imagining your girlfriend with Trey, thinking that she's trying to hurt you, when all the time she's lying unconscious on a hospital bed. Christ, you should have thought that there might have been an accident – no wonder there was no answer at her house, Julie will be with her at the hospital. You need to sort yourself out, man.

**So Ryan knows at last. Hurrah.**

**Reviews much appreciated! **


	5. Hospital Trip

Ryan drove as quickly as he could over to the hospital. He felt so guilty for not going there earlier. You should have known there was something wrong. Well, you sensed something was up, but you made sure you silenced that train of thought. Idiot.

He parked the car and ran into the reception. There was a huge queue of people waiting for attention from the harassed woman at the desk. Screw that. This time you're going to trust your instincts.

On autopilot, Ryan climbed into the elevator and pressed the "2" button. He felt the elevator move and seconds later the doors opened and Ryan stepped out. This is the floor, it has to be.

Ryan walked through a set of double doors and found himself in a corridor with rooms on one side. A young nurse looked up from her post behind a desk, got up and walked towards him.

"Can I help you Sir?"

Sir? Wow, this sure is different from Chino hospitals.

"Err…I'm looking for Marissa Cooper. She was in a traffic accident."

"Miss. Cooper is in Room 4. But I'm afraid it's close family members only at the moment, until she wakes up. Are you a relative?"

"No, I'm her boyfriend. I just found out about the accident. Could you tell me how she's doing?"

"She's not doing too badly; incredibly there isn't too much visible damage off the crash; there are lots of cuts but they'll disappear. We just need for her to wake up now, so we can assess if any damage has been caused to her brain."

"Ok…thank you for your help."

Just then, the door to Room 4 opened and Julie Cooper stepped out. She stopped abruptly the moment she saw Ryan standing outside.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

"Err…Kirsten told me about the accident, I wanted to come and see Marissa."

"Well, Marissa can only be around her family right now, till she wakes up."

"So I've heard. Can you…can you just tell Marissa that I love her and…"

"Uh huh, I'll tell her, although she won't be able to hear as she's unconscious. And since when were the two of you back together? Didn't you hear that Marissa bats for the other team?"

"That was a short phase Marissa went through, and we've been together for a couple of weeks now."

"Right. Thought she would have mentioned something, but never mind. Well, you should go Ryan, there's nothing more you can do at the moment."

Um…okay, well, thanks. I guess I'll be off then."

"Bye Ryan."

I cannot believe she has got back together with him! Ever since he arrived here, there's been nothing but trouble. Then Marissa started dating a girl…things calmed down a little in the way of incidents…but a couple of weeks after starting out with Ryan again she's in a car crash. I mean, shouldn't Ryan have been giving her a lift anyway?

This is the final straw.

**Hmm…Julie isn't really the exceptionally caring mom. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far; you're awesome. Follow their lead please people: REVIEW! **


	6. Awake

A smiling face beamed down at hers. The sparkling eyes seemed to glow and gleam with happiness, mirroring the look she knew was on her face. His mouth was turned up at the corners, and from time to time she could see his teeth. He's smiling; I made him smile! The last time I saw him smile was so long ago. He kept smiling at her, and gently stroked her arm. She closed her eyes, happy to enjoy the moment that had taken so long to come. She moved her hand to his and squeezed it. She opened her eyes, wanting to bask in his adoring look again.

"MOM?" Marissa frowned. Where did Ryan go?

"Honey, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Um…quite sore. Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, sweetie. There was a car crash, do you remember?"

"Um yeah…" Ryan! Shit, I was on my way to meet him. He could be thinking all sorts. "Does Ryan know I'm here?"

Julie paused before answering. It's time to start sorting this mess out. "Yeah, sweetie, he does, don't worry. I rang Kirsten and she said she would tell him."

Phew. He knows then. Knows I didn't stand him up. "So has he been by then?"

"Well, because you were unconscious, it was only family allowed into see you…no one mentioned anything about him stopping by though."

Marissa's face visibly fell. Great. There's no way Kirsten wouldn't tell him, so I guess that means he hasn't bothered to come by."

Upon seeing the reaction on her daughter's face, Julie feigned a cover-up. "But I'm sure he'll have stopped by Marissa; there's no reason why he wouldn't have."

Well, there shouldn't be. Marissa, you're being paranoid. He probably did stop by, but he wasn't allowed in to see you, so there's no way your Mom would know about it.

"Could you…let Ryan know I'm awake now?" Marissa asked.

"Of course. I'll go and let the doctors know that you're awake now as well." With that, Julie left the room.

Like I'm going to invite him to see her. There's no way I'm ringing him.

"Excuse me, nurse? Hi, Julie Cooper, Marissa's mom. Um…Marissa woke up a few moments ago."

"She did? That's great! I'll get a doctor to come and look at her in a few moments okay?"

"Okay, thank you," Julie smiled. Then she turned and walked back into Marissa's room.

"Did you tell Ryan?" Marissa asked, as soon as she saw her mother.

"He'd already left for school, but I told Sandy and he said that he would obviously let Ryan know."

Marissa breathed a sigh of relief. I hope he stops by today; I can't wait to see him. I wish the dream I had when I woke up were true…wish it was him here instead of my Mom.

**Ooh, that Julie's an evil one! And she's not going to get any nicer any time soon.**

**Value your opinions, people, so please tell me what they are!**


	7. Not quite a visitor

Ryan tapped his pen impatiently on the desk. There were only 15 minutes left of the school day, and Ryan couldn't wait to get out so that he could visit the hospital. I hope she's awake; then I'll be able to see her.

The bell rang at last and Ryan sped off to see Marissa.

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Ryan didn't bother to stop when he reached the hospital; he knew exactly where he was going; he didn't even have to pause to decide if the next turning should be a left or a right one.

He went through the double doors and into the corridor once more. The same nurse was on the desk – Janine, the nametag said – and Ryan walked over to her.

"Hi…Ryan Atwood, I'm here for Marissa Cooper."

"Ah, yes, you're the boyfriend right?" Janine queried.

"Um…yeah, that's right. Is she awake yet?"

"Yes…Marissa woke up early this morning. Initial signs are good; there does not appear to be any memory loss but further tests are needed."

Relief washed over Ryan's face. She's awake. She's awake!

"Can I see her now?" he pleaded.

"Just wait here one moment. I need to check if Marissa is up to having visitors."

Ryan sat down on a chair and waited in perfect silence as Janine walked off to check on Marissa.

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There was a knock at the door.

Julie sprang up from her seat beside Marissa's bed and went to answer it. Upon opening the door, she discovered that it was Janine.

"Hello there, I've got a Ryan Atwood out here. He wants to know if it'll be possible for him to see Marissa?"

Julie glanced over her shoulder at her daughter. From where Marissa was lying, it was impossible to see who was at the door or what was going on in the corridor. Because of the angles, Marissa could only just see the edge of the open door and nothing further.

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea right now. I don't think Marissa is ready to be crowded by visitors." Julie explained.

"Okay," Janine replied. "I'll go tell Ryan to come back later."

"Okay. Thank you. Bye bye." Julie said, before shutting the door.

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Ryan looked up as Janine walked back towards him.

"I'm sorry, Ryan, but Marissa isn't up to having visitors at the moment."

Ryan's face fell. I didn't think there would be any problem.

"Ok. Can I stay here for a bit? I want to be as close to her as I can."

Janine nodded. "That'll be fine. I'm sure when she's a bit more rested you'll be able to see her." Man, this kid sure likes Marissa. I would have thought she would be happy to see him, no matter how bad she was feeling. Ah well.

Ryan slumped back in the chair. Damn it. All I want is to be able to see my little angel for a few minutes, just to let her know I'm here for her, just to see for myself that she's going to be all right.

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"Who was at the door, mom?" Marissa asked.

"Hmm…what? Oh, that was the nurse, just checking that you were doing alright."

"Oh, okay." Marissa sighed. I thought it was going to be Ryan. I wish he'd come by to see me soon. Marissa glanced at the clock on the wall opposite. He'll have been out of school for ages now…unless he got detention or something. That must be it; that's why he hasn't visited today, he must have a detention…so he won't have had a chance to speak to Sandy and find out I'm awake.

Optimistic that Ryan would come and see her in a couple of hours time, Marissa drifted off to sleep.

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Ryan was still sat outside. I'll stay here for a while; she might feel up to seeing me soon. He thought back to some of his fondest memories of the time he and Marissa had spent together. Eventually Ryan nodded off, dreaming of the past, as he sat in the hospital, not quite a visitor to Marissa Cooper.


	8. Isn't enough

Ryan was woken by someone gently shaking his shoulders. His eyelids fluttered open, and he saw that it was Janine.

"Hey, sweetie, I'm afraid that visiting hours have ended now, so you're going to have to go home. I checked on Marissa not so long ago, and she still wasn't up to having visitors; otherwise I would have woken you sooner."

"Ok, thanks. I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Ryan stuttered, still drowsy.

"Ok. Bye"

Ryan smiled faintly at her as he pulled himself up out of the seat, stretching his body and rubbing his neck. Damn, that was not the most comfortable place to fall asleep. He glanced at his watch. Oh crap, I probably should have been home hours ago. Ah well. I guess Sandy and Kirsten will have a good idea where I am.

Ryan slowly walked away, pausing briefly outside Marissa's door. His heart ached; he longed to be in there, with her. Maybe tomorrow, when she's feeling better.

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For the next three days, Ryan spent all of his free time outside of school at the hospital. Each time he went, Janine would go and check on Marissa's condition, and each time Julie would tell her that Marissa wasn't up to seeing Ryan.

Every time Janine returned with the "no" verdict, Ryan could feel his heart breaking a little more. Why won't she see me? If she's well enough to face Julie Cooper-Nichol, Dragon Lady, then she's got to be well enough to see me for two minutes.

And after each enquiry from Janine, Julie would shut the door and omit telling Marissa that Ryan wanted to see her. Everyday, she would tell Marissa that he still hadn't been by to see her. And every time Marissa heard those words, she felt her heart tearing up inside. Does he not care about me anymore? Is this his way of saying its over? Marissa's lip would quiver as she'd fight to keep the tears from streaming down her face as the lump in her throat grew bigger and bigger.

All the while, Julie would sit back and admire her work. She could see the thoughts formulating in Marissa's mind; the growing uncertainties weaving their way into Marissa's heart.

But this isn't enough. Marissa will be discharged from hospital soon, and then there's more of a change that Ryan will be able to get to her and talk to her. I've got to do more so that this relationship will become irreparable.

**Sorry it's short, but I've been busy. This is just a scene setter for what happens in the next couple of chapters. Please review!**


	9. Over

**Sorry it's taken like forever for me to post this chapter; I've been on holiday. Anyways, here it is (at last). Enjoy and review.**

Julie looked at her watch. She figured that with a half hour drive from the school, Ryan would be here in about 5 minutes. Time to get ready to see him. Thank God Marissa's asleep; it means I don't have to come up with an excuse for her. With that, Julie carefully opened the door and tiptoed out into the corridor.

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Ryan was, as Julie predicted, on his way to the hospital. With him he had a huge bouquet of flowers, and a letter. Maybe I'll at least be able to communicate with her; if she won't talk to me, perhaps she'll read my letter. Please; let it be today; make it so that today's the day I finally get to see her again.

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The last person Ryan was expecting to see outside of Marissa's room was standing staring at him when he went through the double doors onto Marissa's corridor.

"Ryan."

"Julie."

Has something happened? Is that why she's standing outside? The colour drained from Ryan's face.

"Has something happened to her? Is she okay?"

"Relax, Ryan, she's doing fine. But I'm afraid I do have some bad news. I'm really sorry to have to tell you this…but Marissa said it's over. She can't handle the stress right now of being with you; and she doesn't feel like you trusted her, so she thinks its time to call it a day."

Ryan's face visibly fell, and his complexion paled further.

"It's over? She said that?"

"It's over. I'm so sorry Ryan, but I guess it's for the best. She said not to try and contact her."

It's over? Why? Why? She cannot be serious; Marissa wouldn't end it like this. Marissa wouldn't end it…can't end it.

"Goodbye Ryan." Julie turned and started to walk back to Marissa's room.

"WAIT! Can you…can you give these to Marissa please. Tell her I'm sorry for everything I've done; tell her not to end it; tell her I'll still be here everyday if she changes her mind." Ryan gasped.

"I'll tell her…but I don't think it's going to be any good. Her minds made up. It's over for good."


	10. SethRyan time

Julie waited a few minutes to ensure that Ryan really had gone, then went back into Marissa's room. Good; she's still sleeping. Gives me a chance to get rid of these flowers.

Julie looked down at the letter in her hand; it could contain some interesting information. Best not dispose of it just yet. She slid the letter into the inner pocket of her coat, which was draped over the chair beside Marissa's bed.

After checking that Marissa was still sleeping, Julie crept out of the room and dashed out of the hospital, flowers in hand. She looked around for the nearest dumpster and ran over to one beside the car park, where she disposed of Ryan's flowers. With a satisfied smirk on her face, Julie turned on her heels and briskly walked back towards Marissa's room.

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Ryan lay wrapped up in the covers of his bed. He'd been there since arriving back from the hospital yesterday afternoon, and hadn't eaten anything since lunch at school. The peace and quiet the pool house offered was abruptly broken into with the arrival of Seth.

"Yo bro, hows it hanging?" Seth asked.

Having received no response whatsoever from Ryan, Seth tried a different approach.

"So, dude, what happened yesterday? You don't have to bottle it up anymore; Seth/Ryan time is here!"

This remark earned Seth a glare from Ryan. Well, it's a response.

"Dude, look, I know that you're bummed because Marissa's in hospital and you haven't seen her for a while…"

Ryan glared at him again.

"…and you're probably blaming yourself for the accident because that is what you always do, Ryan, you blame yourself. Look, dude, there is nothing you could have done. It just…happened. You can't get mad at yourself for not giving Marissa a lift or anything, because you offered but she said no because her car was already with her and it would complicate things. It's not your fault. Okay?"

Ryan shifted slightly under the covers and grunted. It is my fault though. I should have given her a lift; we could have picked her car up later. If I had given her a lift, this would never have happened…we'd still be together.

"Right, buddy, now that we've cleared that up, lets see if we can solve my problems. Summer. Ryan, what do I do about Summer? Because right now, she's not with me, and she's not with Zach. She's with no one!" Seth paused for breath.

But what happens if she decides she doesn't like being single…but she won't ask me or Zach out because of what happened at the launch party. So she finds another guy, Ryan, another one. Then what do I do? How do I compete against 2 people at the same time for the right to have Summer as my girlfriend? It's just not ethical."

At the mention of the word girlfriend, Ryan groaned. I don't think I have a girlfriend anymore; if what Julie said is true. Of course its true, she's not gonna lie about something like that. And it explains why Marissa won't see me…kind of. What can I do?

Ryan rolled over and realised that Seth was still talking at him.

"Granted I've got Jesus and Moses on my side…but we work as a team, and when there's two enemies in the picture; we have a problem! So, what do you think I should do? The Fantastic Four cannot be apart for long; it's just not right."

Ryan looked at him. "I dunno; why don't you try talking to her?"

Seth looked back at Ryan. "I could try that; talking is one of my strong points. We all know that I'm very good at talking. Yes, I think I like where you're going with this Ryan; as the brains, I should go and figure the rest of this out. Oh, and dude, you look kinda rough. Go take a shower and get ready, cause we're meant to be at school soon. I'll be inside."


	11. Lunch

"Well, Ryan, I tried talking to her, and she told me that she couldn't deal with this right now; at the moment, the only thing she has on her mind is looking after your girlfriend." Seth sat his tray down on the table, next to Ryan's.

Girlfriend. That word again. Somehow I doubt she's my girlfriend; that would require her to talk to me.

"So, it seems to me that my problem isn't gonna get any better until things are sorted out with Marissa…which is where you come in. What's going on there, dude?"

Ryan looked at him and bit his lip. If I tell him, if I say it out loud, its like publicly acknowledging that Marissa broke up with me. I…I don't wanna do that just yet; I've got to try and talk to her again. "Its…confusing bro; too much detail to go into over lunch."

Seth frowned slightly and nodded. "You going to visit her after school?"

Ryan paused for a second. "Yeah, I am. And then…then when I get back, maybe we'll talk." Depending on the outcome; I may not feel like talking a whole lot.

"Okay. Well, whatever's going on, I hope you get it sorted; because Summer said she's not in the mood to talk to me right now; she's busy looking after Marissa and her problems."

Ryan nodded slightly, then tucked into his lunch. He hadn't eaten properly for a while; he didn't really feel like it either; but the last thing he wanted was to blank out if he got the chance to talk to Marissa.


	12. Going home

**Gawd, its been ages since I updated! Really sorry; school kinda got in the way a lot.**

"Good news Marissa; the doctors reckon that you're well enough to go home this afternoon." Julie smiled.

Great. I get out of here at last. Except…going home means that there's a high chance I'll end up seeing Ryan…and I don't really want to do that at the moment. Not with the way things are between us; it'll be a long time before I'm ready to speak to him again.

Julie checked the time. Middle of the morning; Ryan will be in school at the moment. So it'll be okay to leave Marissa here by herself.

"So, honey, I'm gonna go home for a little while, sort the house out ready for your return. I'll only be a couple of hours, okay?"

"Yeah mom, that'll be fine."

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Ryan sat in class, bored out of his mind and unable to concentrate. How am I supposed to learn anything when all I can think about is **her. **

Twiddling his pen around in his fingers, Ryan sat and thought. Slowly, his pen lowered down to his paper, and he began to write vigorously on it.

By the time the bell went for lunch, Ryan had written several sheets of paper, and knew exactly what he was going to do.

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The drive to the hospital had become second nature to Ryan. He knew the way like the back of his hand. Please. Please. Let me get through to her. Give me a chance to apologise, for whatever it is I did that made her…end things.

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Marissa stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind pounding with the conflicting thoughts she had in it. Don't think of him. Don't go there. Block him out; forget him like he forgot about you. He's not worth it.

Marissa scrunched her eyes tightly shut. But he is worth it. He's everything to me.

A single tear trickled down Marissa's cheek.

Clearly, you mean nothing to him though. So there's no point in bothering about him; let him go. He managed to do it so easily; therefore you can too.

Marissa wiped the tears from her face. No point in crying; he means nothing to me now.

**Well, I have the next bit written out to post soon.**

**And I promise I'm going to start posting more regularly now; settled back into the school routine so I have more time on my hands.**

**Review please!**


	13. Walkabout

Ryan's heart pounded as he walked up to the familiar corridor to Marissa's room. Held deep inside his pocket was the letter he had written in lessons. Please let this get through to her. Please let me see her.

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Marissa was bored out of her mind. Having told herself she couldn't think about Ryan anymore, Marissa had discovered there wasn't really that much else that she could think about.

Fed up of being stuck in her private room, Marissa decided to take a walk. She left her room and turned right, walking past the desk.

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Janine glanced up from her paperwork to see Marissa Cooper strolling along the corridor and turning a corner. Better see what she's up to. Janine got up and followed Marissa – who had been walking at a brisk pace.

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Ryan hesitated slightly then pushed through the double doors. He looked towards the reception desk, and was surprised to see that there was no one there. Take it as a sign, Ry. There's no one here stopping you from trying to see her. It might be against the law to just go into her room, but what the hell. Desperate times…

Inhaling deeply, Ryan stood opposite Marissa's door and gently rapped his knuckles on the door.

No response. What does that mean? Should I go for it. Glancing back over his shoulder, Ryan noted that Janine was still missing from her usual post. Lets do this. One…two…THREE!

Ryan opened the door and slowly walked into the room. The bed's empty! Where is she? She hasn't left yet because all her stuffs still here.

Ryan paced around the room, trying to decide what line of action to take next. Well; I'm in here now. Leaving is going to be hard; Janine won't stay away for long. Might as well stay here until someone comes back.

Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter. He scanned the room for somewhere to put it. Guess the bedside cabinet is as good a place as any.

Ryan sat down on a chair, prepared to wait as long as it would take.

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Marissa was bored of her walk; there wasn't exactly that much to see in the hospital. Sighing despondently, she turned around to head back to her room. She stopped when she saw Janine in front of her.

"Marissa, is everything okay? How come you're out of your room?" Janine questioned.

"I'm fine, I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit before I go home."

"Okay; I'm sure you've found there isn't really very far to walk round here though."

"Yeah; I'm gonna make my way back to my room now."

"Okay."

Marissa smiled briefly at Janine, then continued her walk back the way she'd came.

Janine watched as Marissa walked. That girl has a lot of pain she's having to hide from everyone.


End file.
